Families’ harrowing visit to site of bush grave of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies after accused killer ‘co-operates’

The bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies lay in surfboard bags in a makeshift grave that was enough to hide them from investigators for five days.

Family members arrive at a rural property in Bungonia in the NSW Southern Tablelands, 170km southwest of Sydney, on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

The bodies were in surfboard bags along a property’s fence line near Goulburn, covered in rocks and debris in an apparent hasty ­attempt at concealment.

It was the second place that Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies had been dumped, and the makeshift grave was enough to hide them away from investigators for another five days.

Then, finally, after receiving legal advice for the first time, the NSW constable accused of taking their lives with his police-issued Glock pistol, Senior Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, revealed the site to two detectives in Silverwater prison on Tuesday.

Police finding the remains of former television presenter Mr Baird and flight attendant Mr ­Davies will have brought grief and relief to their families and friends.

Police cordon off a farm in the Southern Tablelands region of Bungonia, where the bodies were found. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

Confirming the worst, it also allowed the process to begin for loved ones to give the couple a dignified farewell. Family members of the two were heading to where the bodies were found, with Baird family members arriving in the early evening.

“We have been working around the clock on this for the families to find Luke and Jesse and I’m pleased we have found them,” said Commissioner Karen Webb, announcing discovery of the remains. “Of course it’s tragic and an awful circumstance. But … when I spoke to Luke’s mum, that’s what parents want. They want to know where their children are.”

Luke Davies (left) and Jesse Baird (right) were discovered by police on Tuesday afternoon, their bodies stuffed into surfboard bags along a fence line in a Bungonia property.

Commissioner Webb had spent the earlier part of the day defending her response to the slaying of Mr Baird and Mr Davies in a series of media interviews after being accused of being too late to speak publicly and saying too little about a rare alleged murderer in the ranks.

“There will always be haters. Haters like to hate. Isn’t that what Taylor [Swift] says?” she told a breakfast television show, prompting another backlash.

The discovery of the remains later in the day brought her relief, she said, because of what it meant to the families.

Police remove the white van from Grays Point allegedly driven by Beau Lamarre-Condon. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Ben Symons

However she gave her critics more ammunition when she spoke of her and the families of the victims having gratitude for the accused killer’s eventual co-operation. “I’d like to say that this information did come with the assistance of the accused, for which we’re very grateful and I’m sure the families are very grateful,” she said.

While there will be relief in finding the men and appreciation of the efforts of investigators and searchers, few are likely to express gratitude to a man who allegedly single-handedly dragged two bodies from Mr Baird’s inner-city Sydney share house to a waiting van, and twice disposed of them about 180km southwest of the site of the murders.

The bodies were found down a bush track, behind a mountain of dirt on public land about 10m off Jerrara Road at Bungonia, police said.

They were not far from the Greek Orthodox Holy Monastery of Saint Fanourios in an area that is mainly home to large residential properties.

Police will allege Constable Lamarre-Condon murdered Mr Baird and Mr Davies around 9.50am on Monday, February 19, when gunshots were heard and a call was made to triple-0 from Mr Davies’ mobile phone.

Nothing was heard before the call disconnected.

Police sent a patrol car to investigate but officers were unable to find the caller and did not go to the Paddington property.

Constable Lamarre-Condon allegedly dumped the bodies at a Bungonia property on Wednesday, returned to the Sydney area, then went back later the same day or in the early hours of next morning to move the victims about 20 minutes’ drive away.

“What we will allege is this 28-year-old man acted alone and is the sole person responsible for the murders of Luke and Jesse (and) for placing the bodies of Luke and Jesse at this current location,” Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said.

Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, as pictured on his dating profile, has been charged with murder.

Commissioner Webb said she had spoken to both families.

“On behalf of the NSW Police Force, I’d like to pass on my condolences to the Davies and Baird families, their friends and the LBGTQI-plus communities, not just in NSW but across Australia, where they were based and have many friendships.”

Homicide Squad detectives Glen Browne and Sasha Pinazza went to Sydney’s Silverwater prison on Tuesday morning and spoke to Constable Lamarre-Condon.

“As a result of that, he provided assistance to the investigation and was able to provide a location of where Luke and Jesse were,” Superintendent Doherty said.

Mr Baird’s former partner of five years, Corey-Dean Thorpe, on Tuesday said Mr Baird and Constable Lamarre-Condon had never been in a relationship.

He said there had been a casual encounter and Mr Baird later cut off contact with Constable Lamarre-Condon after he allegedly posted material online inaccurately asserting the pair were romantically involved.

Mr Thorpe said Mr Baird had been “terrified” of Constable Lamarre-Condon, and was scared he would make a false complaint against him and ruin his television career.

“He just kept repeating ‘Corey, he has a gun’,” Mr Thorpe told The Australian.

Mr Baird was a former Network Ten presenter.